Handy Hints for Managing the Annual Review Process
Stage 1 Collection, collation and circulation of information
In advance of the Annual Review meeting:-
arrange a time and date for the meeting that is convenient for parents as well as for colleagues from within the school and from external agencies
talk to parents, particularly if it’s their first review, to let them know who will be at the meeting and what they might expect to happen
ask the parents whether they would like to speak at the meeting or, if not, whether they would like you to summarise their views or have someone else there to support them. Ensure you book a signer or interpreter in good time.
offer support to less confident parents for form filling and/or formulating questions they might like to ask
talk to the pupil and explain what it is all about and what will happen and how he/she can express their views and contribute to the proceedings
decide at what time and for how long the child should be at the meeting
try to hold the meeting in room with sufficient space for everyone to sit comfortably and which is easily accessible for all participants
allow for time to prepare/assemble all of the papers and arrange for additional copies to be on hand for the meeting
do not underestimate how draining Annual Review meetings can be
prepare and circulate an agenda so that everyone knows what to expect and when the meeting is scheduled to finish
the SENCO usually chairs the meeting but ask the Head Teacher to do so if there are ‘difficult’ issues surrounding the review
Stage 2 The Annual Review meeting
On the day:
ensure all the paperwork, including a copy of the child’s Statement, are to hand
provide paper and pencils for those who might wish to take notes
provide a jug of water etc
ensure the room looks as welcoming as possible and that confidential material concerning other pupils is not on view
have a clock where everyone can see it and prime a colleague to knock on the door after a certain time (if you feel it appropriate to do so)
During the meeting:
introduce everybody and give a brief statement of their role/input
suggest that mobile phones should be turned to silent (or off)
make sure that everyone has copies of the papers
it is easier to talk through the papers section by section but not obligatory
if parents are nervous, use their sheet as a prompt and keep the tone conversational (but not patronising)
remember to talk to the pupil and not over his/her head
watch out for body language and change the focus if possible
do not let any one person’s view dominate the meeting
try to create a natural break to allow for the pupil to leave the meeting if this has been agreed with him/her beforehand
refer to the time as necessary through the meeting and try to finish early as sometimes crucial information can often come to light during the informal chat after the meeting closes – make this is minuted though.
try to end on a positive note, re-cap on decisions made and thank people for attending
Stage 3. The Report
Following the meeting:
read through and follow the checklist
send the signed report to your Area Officewithin 10 school days or by the end of term (whichever is first) for the attention of the SEN Caseworker named in the letter advising you when the Annual Review needed to be held.
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This issue: October 2010.